This invention relates to an automatic toll-ticket issuing apparatus to be installed beside an entrance gate of a toll road or expressway to provide, without human assistance, each driver with a toll ticket for subsequent toll collection at the destination exit.
A conventional practice for the fee collection on a toll road or expressway, for example in the case of a multi-zone turnpike system, has been for the tollman at the entrance gate to identify each oncoming vehicle visually, press the button of a ticket-issuing unit corresponding to the classification or type of the vehicle, and then the machine issues a toll card or ticket CD, as shown in FIG. 1, printed with the type number of the particular vehicle, number of the interchange into which the vehicle is entering, month-day-hour-minute of entry, tollman number, serial number of the ticket, and other information required. The ticket also has a magnetic stripe MS on which the vehicle type No., interchange No., month-day-hour-minute, tollman No., registration No. of the vehicle (on the license plate), number of the vehicle's axles, etc. have been magnetically recorded. At the exit gate of the destination zone the vehicle is leaving, the toll collector receives the ticket from the driver and passes it through a ticket reader, which in turn reads the vehicle type No. and the origin-interchange No. and automatically computes the exact amount of toll to be charged.
The toll-ticket reader, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 2, is a terminal of a centralized computer system for the toll road or expressway, combining two functions of issuing new toll tickets and reading the data on used tickets. The reader comprises a rotary conveying drum D around which three magnetic heads 1, 1', 1" for writing on, or reading from, the magnetic stripe MS of each toll ticket CD and a printer head 2 for printing necessary information on a printable zone of the ticket CD are located opposite to the drum surface and close to one another. A main conveying part 3 for transporting tickets CD to be handled is formed by extending a belt B around the drum with the aid of pulleys P, thus keeping the belt in contact with the drum surface. Near the inlet side of this main conveying part 3, there is provided a ticket hopper 4 for holding a fresh supply of toll tickets CD. An insertion slot 5 for manually introducing each new toll ticket CD into the apparatus is provided in the vicinity of the ticket hopper 4. The slot 5 and the hopper 4 have, respectively, auxiliary conveying sections 6, 6' for guiding tickets toward the main conveying part 3. The auxiliary sections are equipped with means for supplying or delivering tickets to the main conveying part of the apparatus.
On the outlet side of the main conveying part 3 are provided a stacker 7 for retrieving used tickets CD and a discharge slot 8, both connected with the main conveying part 3 through auxiliary conveying sections 9, 9', respectively.
Between the main conveying part 3 and the auxiliary conveying sections 9, 9' is disposed a flapper FP for sorting tickets into the auxiliary conveying routes.
In the conventional apparatus of the construction described, a used toll ticket CD is manually introduced from the insertion slot 5 into the main conveying part 3, where the ticket is held securely between the rotating drum D and the belt B and is transported toward the outlet. During this travel, the magnetic stripe MS of the ticket comes into contact, in succession, with the magnetic heads 1, 1', 1", where the magnetically recorded information is read out. A space SP reserved for printing on the toll ticket CD is printed, when necessary, with some additional data by the printer head 2. The ticket is then sorted by the flapper FP for delivery to either the stacker 7 or the discharge slot 8.
When the apparatus is to be used as a toll ticket-issuing unit, each new ticket CD is taken out of the hopper 4 and is transported through the main conveying part 3. During the travel, necessary information is written on, or read from, the magnetic stripe MS of the ticket by the magnetic heads 1, 1', 1" and additional information is printed and recorded on the space SP by the printer head 2. If the recorded information in the magnetic stripe MS is correct, the ticket CD is directed by the flapper FP to the discharge slot 8 and if erroneous, the ticket is retrieved by the stacker 7.
The apparatus of the prior art requires manual operation, such as keying or depression of a vehicle-type button, to issue tickets and recognize the information thereon, and presents a problem of impossibility of unattended operation.